What is thaliaceans?

Thaliaceans, also known as salps, are a group of free-swimming tunicates that are common in the open oceans. They are found in all the major oceans of the world, and can form dense swarms that can be seen from space.

Thaliaceans are unique in that they are colonial animals, meaning that individual organisms are connected in a chain-like fashion. They are transparent or semi-transparent and have a gelatinous body that is shaped like a cylinder or tube. They can range in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters in length.

Thaliaceans are filter feeders, using a mucus net to capture small particles such as phytoplankton and zooplankton. They are an important part of the open-ocean food web, serving as a food source for many larger organisms such as fish, birds, and marine mammals.

Thaliaceans have a unique life cycle, which includes both asexual and sexual reproduction. Many species are hermaphroditic, meaning that individual organisms have both male and female reproductive organs.

Climate change and other human activities are affecting thaliacean populations in various ways, and scientists are studying their biology, ecology and distribution to better understand their role in the ocean ecosystem and assess their vulnerability to these threats.